Craig Stevens is Dead
by Melms213
Summary: The newest Cliffhanger turns up dead. At first it appears to be a case of defense, but when nothing adds up, who's a suspect? Who killed Craig Stevens? Rated T just in case.
1. safety

**Craig Stevens is Dead**

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**

a/n- I'm sorry about the lack of updates, honestly, I'm having a hard time writing the next chapter for both stories. I know what's going to happen, but getting to what happens is what's giving me problems. I do hope to have them soon, I promise!

This is a story I thought of and I hope you like it! It starts from the middle, goes back to the beginning, then switches between present time and flashbacks. I hope it won't be too confusing! The idea is loosely based off of the show reunion, but it's not the same at all. lol

Chapter 1

Peter ran in the direction of the shed after hearing screams from within in. When he reached it, the door was being held shut by something on the other side. Forcefully he pushed on the door until it reluctantly opened. Inside, Peter couldn't see anything it was so dark, but he could hear Shelby crying, then her yelling, "Get out of here, hurry!"

"Don't go anywhere!" Peter yelled at whoever the other person was. He felt around the wall and finally turned the lights on. He stood in the doorway shocked. Shelby sat in the middle of the room, her clothes ripped, and bruises forming on her arms, legs and head. The other person must have slipped out through the opened window in the back of the shed. Then Peter noticed what had been holding the door shut; the newest Cliffhanger Craig was lying motionlessly in front of the door, a knife by his side and bleeding through his shirt.

Peter bent down to check what had happened to him, and checking his pulse, realized that the boy was dead. Peter pulled out the walkie talkie he carried with him and spoke into it, hurried. "Roger, Roger do you read me?"

"Yes Peter, what's the matter?"

"Call an ambulance; tell them that a seventeen year old boy was stabbed, and that he has no pulse."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure, just call." He said and quickly put it back in his pocket. Then, Peter walked over to a sobbing Shelby.

"Shelby? Shel, what happened?"

She just began to cry harder. Peter helped her into a standing position, and walked her out of the shed. They stood outside waiting for the ambulance, Shelby unable to control her body from shaking. When the alarms were finally audible, most of the school had woken up and were standing outside. When Scott saw the shape Shelby was in, he rushed over to her and gently took her in his arms. Noticing her shirt was ripped to the point of almost falling off; he took his shirt off and helped her put it on. She was holding onto him like it was life or death. He didn't have to ask her if she was ok or not, it was evident that she was far from it, so he held her tightly and tried his best to make her feel safe.

After Craig's body was indeed pronounced dead due to loss of blood from a cut artery, his body was taken away. The police, however, stuck around. They closed off the shed with caution tape, and started their case to figure out who had killed Craig Stevens.

**One Month Earlier**

"Shelby, Shelby wait up!" Shelby smiled, knowing that it was Scott, **her** boyfriend who was calling her. Some days she still couldn't believe they were together and gasp, even in love! She stopped and turned around, waiting for him to catch up. When he did, He instantly put his arms around her waist, "Hey." Was all he said smiling.

"Hey." She smiled, bringing her arms around his neck. Soon, they're lips had met, but before it could go any farther, they were interrupted.

"After a year, you two still don't realize you shouldn't be doing that in the middle of the lounge?" David said from behind them, "That's why it's no good to have two blondes together." He shook his head in disapproval.

"David, what do you want?" Shelby snapped

He put his arms up in a surrender pose, "Hey I was just going to warn you that Peter wants us to have a group, next time I save the interruption for him." He walked away and sat on one of the chairs placed in a circle.

Scott sighed, "He annoys the crap out of me."

Shelby smiled up at him, "He's right though, if it were Peter, we'd be dead."

"Yea I guess but, anyway, why does Peter want another group?"

"I don't know," she said, taking his hand and walking him to the chairs, "Maybe something really important is happening?"

"Like what?"

"Do I look like Daisy? No, so therefore I cannot tell the future."

He just smiled as the rest of the group walked in and took their seats. Shortly after, Peter, followed by a tall muscular boy, he had dark brown, almost black hair and piercing green eyes; and when his gaze fell on Shelby, they boar into her like he could see her every thought. This both scared her and mesmerized her.

Scott, seeing Shelby looking uncomfortable at this guy staring at her, held her hand. One, to show her he was there, but more importantly, to show this Newbie, that they were together.

"Ok, as you can see, we have a new member to the group," He began, looking at each teenager, Sophie was sick with the flu, so he had taken over the group until she recovered, "This is Craig Stevens. Why don't we go around, say your name and why you're here." He looked at Ezra, signifying for him to begin.

"I'm Ezra, drugs."

"Daisy, parental problems."

"Hello Craig, I am David and I was brought here because my father can not take care of a kid who is off the wall without medicine I guess." He smiled

"David." Peter said

"What? It's true isn't it? Would you rather me say one word? Fine…Davie…ADD, Better?"

"Shelby." Peter just continued

Shelby was still staring at Craig with a confused look on her face.

"Shelby?" He asked again.

Scott looked over and nudged her lightly.

"What? She asked, looking at Scott who seemed hurt and the rest of the group who were staring at her expectantly.

"You name and why you're here."

"I think we all know your Shelby by now." Craig spoke up for the first time, smiling that he had gotten her attention; he could already see how everything would play out.

Shelby just continued, "Uhh yea, Shelby, and umm I ran away a lot cause my stepfather abused me."

She looked at Scott who had let go of her hand, obviously upset that she was staring at the new kid.

He just looked at this kid, who did he think he was anyway? "Scott, drugs and a skank for a stepmother."

Craig ignored the last two people, a girl and a guy who seemed to be coupled up. He knew Scott and Shelby were coupled up, and he made a mental note of their pasts. It would be a challenge this time, with Scott as his opponent, but he knew Shelby was already interested. When he noticed everyone looking at him her spoke again, "I'm Craig and I've been a bad, bad boy." He smiled and the rest of the group looked at him like he was stupid.

"Craig, I'll let that go because it was your first time, but answers like that are not expectable, do you understand?"

"Yea, yea, I got it."

Peter declared that group was over and the group dispersed. Scott walked quickly out of the room. Shelby stood up and called from behind him. "Scott! Scott wait up!" Shelby thought back to just a while ago when Scott had called with the same words. The only difference was that Scott didn't stop.

"Scott will you please just stop?" She was running now. He finally stopped, but didn't turn around. Shelby caught up to him and walked around to face him, "What is your problem?"

More than angry, Scott looked upset, "Do you like him Shel?" He asked, his voice low

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Who?"

Scott rolled his now tear filled eyes, "Craig, do you like him?"

When a tear fell, Shelby wiped it away softly, "No, I don't like him. Scott I love you, you know that."

He looked down, but felt instantly relieved. Shelby lifted his chin, "You know that, don't you?"

Scott pulled her into a hug, "Yea I know, I love you too. I just don't know what I would do without you. I would kill someone if they ever hurt you."

Shelby smiled; she had never felt so safe as in Scott's arms.

**Present Day**

"Shelby, tell us who was in there with you and Craig. They won't get in trouble, if it weren't for them you would have gotten raped, and possibly worse. But you need to tell us who else was in there." The police officer said calmly

Shelby thought for a moment then said, "I don't know, I couldn't see who it was."

The officer stood and went to talk to Peter, "We need to know who was there."

"If they won't get in trouble, why is it so important that you know right now?" He asked

"Because although right now it appears to be a case of defense, that knife looks like it was wiped clean, and some of the officers say that the whole thing seems a little suspicious."

"What are you saying? That Shelby intentionally tried to get raped?"

"I'm not saying anything right now, I'm just telling you the whole picture doesn't add up and we need to find out who else was there."


	2. A Promise

**Craig Stevens is Dead**

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!**

Chapter 2

Shelby was finally able to get away from the police after an hour and a half of denying that she knew who was in the room with her and Craig. Peter had told her to go and try to get some sleep, and that they would talk in the morning, when she walked into the dorm, Shelby was surprised to find the guys also in there, comforting their girlfriends or just friends. Shelby immediately walked over to her bed where Scott was sitting and waiting to comfort her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked when she finally sat down

Shelby just shrugged, not able to talk about it

"Is there anything you need?" Auggie asked

**Twenty Days Earlier**

Auggie was late to lunch because he had gotten caught up in reading a book that Peter had given him. Walking past the girls' dorm, Auggie heard noises coming from the front entrance, he stayed quiet listening to the conversation that was playing out.

"Shelby just a minute?" The new kid Craig was talking which surprised Auggie

"Not right now, we have to go, it's time for lunch and I'm meeting Scott."

"But I need to talk to you, you promised we could talk!"

The more the conversation played out, the more confused Auggie was, he figured there had to be an explanation for it, but he just didn't know what.

"No, not now, I'll see you in a little while." Shelby said and walked off. After a minute, Craig sighed and began walking in the same direction and Auggie decided that it was a good time to start walking again.

Upon hearing added footsteps, Craig turned around, "Is there anything you need?" He said slightly annoyed that this kid was trailing him.

"Hey man, I'm just wondering why your hanging around with a girl who has a boyfriend?"

Craig put his hands up, "I'm not doing anything, what does it have to do with you anyway?"

"You're trying to get with my best friend's girlfriend and you don't know what it has to do with me?"

"This has nothing to do with Scott, and anyway, I'm not making Shelby do anything she doesn't want to."

Auggie walked up to him and grabbed him by his collar, "Listen to me, Shelby is like a sister to me, you lay a hand on her and you won't have to worry about Scott."

"Is that a promise?" Craig asked smiling slightly

Auggie let go of him, pushing him slightly, "Be smart man, be smart."

"I'll remember that." He said watching Auggie walk away with a smug looking smile.

**Present Day**

"So you really have no idea who was in there with you?" Juliette asked

Auggie shook his head, his girlfriend's voice bringing him back to the conversation at hand.

Shelby glanced at him quickly then back at Juliette, "No, but I wasn't exactly worrying about who was in there."

"What's going on in here?" They all turned to see Peter standing at the door, but his voice was more in question then anger.

"Peter please, I didn't want to be alone." Shelby said looking at him, her eyes begging

"I understand Shelby but I can't allow the guys to stay in here," They all looked down sad, especially Scott who didn't want to leave Shelby's side, "That's why I'm going to allow you to set up the tents in the lounge." They all smiled.

Since they were all already changed, they headed over and set up their sleeping bags by the fire that Peter started.

"Listen, I'm going to be right in my office, I will be checking on you, but I feel that I can trust you all sleeping out here unsupervised, so don't let me have to rethink it. I don't want you staying up talking, try and get some sleep, alright?"

They all nodded or said their agreement verbally. When he left, the kids did as they were told, sure the girls were closer that they should have been to the guys, but it wasn't anything Peter could really complain about.

An hour later, Auggie woke up and groggily noticed that a few feet away, Shelby was still awake lying right next to Scott.

"Hey Shel, are you alright?" He whispered

"Yea Aug…thanks."

He nodded, "It's no problem." He turned over and soon was sleeping.

Shelby laid wide awake, listen to Scott's slow and steady breathe mere inches from her. The rhythm calmed her nerves; she loved how although he wasn't even talking to her, or even really interacting with her at all, he was still affecting her.

As she thought about this, Scott started moving slightly. Then Shelby noticed his face twist in pain. Whimpers began to escape from his mouth, and tears from his eyes.

Shelby kneeled then began shaking him, "Scott, Scott wake up, it's only a dream."

He cried out once more, then jolted slightly. Looking up, he saw Shelby leaning over him, with her hand on his shoulder. Scott sat up and immediately took Shelby in a tight hug, letting out a breath.

Shelby let him hold her for a minute, realizing her needed it, then she pulled back a little looking into his eyes, she wiped away a few stray tears then ran her hand through his curly hair, "What was it?" She asked gently

He looked down, not wanting to think back to the dream just passed.

Shelby lifted his chin with her index finger, "Scott, it's ok, it's over," She paused, then, "Was it Elaine?" She asked quietly

"No," he shook his head slightly, "It was you."

Shelby's eye gave away her confusion, "What do you mean me?"

"It was about what happened tonight," Tears entered his eyes, and he hugged Shelby again, "I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear

"Scott it wasn't your fault."

David kept as still as possible, listening to the couple's conversation; he shook his head slightly as not to cause any attention to himself, the whole sob story was already getting old. David hated Craig and he knew the rest of the Cliffhangers did too, he was happy that Craig was dead and once the shock of Shelby's almost rape wore off, David knew that the rest of the group would see it that way also.

* * *

a/n- thank you for the reviews, I've finally gotten some free time, I'm sorry it's taken so though. Please comment and tell me what you think of the story so far! 


End file.
